Baltic and Nordkap

Starting to plan a ride up the eastern side of the Baltic, north through Finland up to Nordkap, and then down the west coastal region of Norway, and back around through Germany and Poland to Lithuania. Going summer 2018. Looking for information, place to rest--especially in Norway-- and contacts along the way. Feel free to Message me. Thanks!
JohnD

Stay east in Finland. Nordkapp itself is a dump (so I'm told). The Lofoten Islands are cool. Ride the fv17 in Norway. Trolstigen, Gerainger and Lysebotn.

Lots of huts available in Norway. Going rate last year was €80 per night. Camping is reasonable and sites good if the weather holds.

The advice I got on the HUBB:

"The E6 is not the most interesting road in Norway, although the part you are riding from Karasjok to Mo i Rana is definitely not the worst. You will encounter a lot of lorries and campervans, and there may be parts where it´ll be hard to overtake (the E6 in these parts is not dual carriageway). If I understand you correctly, you have at least 10 days in Norway from Karasjok southbound? If so, I dare to suggest that you ride the E6 until you get to Bjerkvik just north of Narvik. Then take a right and follow the E10 down Lofoten. When you reach the southern parts, take the ferry from Moskenes to Bodø (pre-book a day or more in advance by phone +47 90820700). From Bodø, follow the Road 17 (Coastal Highway), which is a fantastic road. Five small ferry crossings, but definitely worth it. When you reach the end of Road 17 at Asp, turn right and follow the E6 again southbound. South of Trondheim, follow road signs (E39) towards Kristiansund and you will be on the leg towards the Atlantic Road, Trollstigen and Geiranger. Send me a message if you want me to detail a route for you along these lines. Where do you want to exit Norway?"
and

"The E6 is the main road going north-to-south in Norway. All heavy goods traffic, all the lorries carrying supplies, most of the rental campers and cars with drivers scared of small roads, go on the E6. And outside the southern populated areas, it is a twisty dual-lane road. Even with the acceleration of a sportbike, you just don't have the visibility for large stretches of it, and when you do, there can be solid traffic both ways.

It's just infuriating, and easily avoided in favor of much more scenic and pleasant Rv-roads most of the time.

Helsinki to Karasjok is doable in two days, but my advice would be to look into the car train from Helsinki to Rovaniemi or Kolari. I'd say the western highway from Oulu/Kemi via Kolari, following the Muonio river and Swedish border, then turning off at Enontekiö to head towards Alta and Nordkapp from there, is more fun than the eastern highway from Rovaniemi to Karasjok - but both are essentially fast, straight, and boring. But watch out for the reindeer, they WILL be standing right in the middle of the road after a blind crest.

If you're going to Karasjok, you have to stop by Nordkapp, for the bragging rights. If you spend the night around Inari/Ivalo/Karasjok, you can easily get to Nordkapp and back down to Alta/Hammerfest in a day, to spend the night there.

Again if you're going south to Mo i Rana, definitely go to the Lofoten islands. Try to spend the night in Harstad (a very nice town with a historic center, unlike boring industrial Narvik, and also accessible without ferries). Or if you spend the night in Tromsö, take the Senja Island route and Gryllefjord-Andenes ferry and go down all of Lofoten, then take the late fast ferry from Moskenes to Bodö.

Trollstigen and Geiranger are both great, but don't put much stock in Kristiansund (the city next to the Atlantic Road), it sucked. I feel personally the Atlantic Road is skippable - it looks best in photos. And it's a huge detour via otherwise unremarkable (for Norway) roads. Go from around Trondheim via Rv60-family roads through Andalsnes to Trollstigen (much better done north/east towards south/west - you approach the switchbacks heading up, then have long sweeping curves on the other side going down to Geirangerfjord) and from there again on Rv60-roads towards Lillehammer.

This is where you might as well pick up the E6. Take a ferry from Oslo to the top of Denmark, blast down the E45 and into Germany, autobahns all the way through Hamburg-Bremen-Rotterdam and back to the UK."

I was on Nordkapp twice and I would go again.
I would advise you to change your direction of travel by riding along the west coast of Norway from south to north. There are two reasons for this: The Norwegian coast is far more interesting than the straight Finland roads. That's why it's better to ride this part of the journey first while you're not tired yet. If you first drive to Finland, you will be tired in Norway and you will not be able to fully enjoy the beauty of the Norwegian landscape.
Second reason is sun light: when you drive from south to north, you have the sun at your back, driving is smoother photos are nicer.
For lodging I used hytte.
Best time to be on Nordkapp is end of June, no sunset at all...
For more info message me

I would advise you to change your direction of travel by riding along the west coast of Norway from south to north. There are two reasons for this: The Norwegian coast is far more interesting than the straight Finland roads. That's why it's better to ride this part of the journey first while you're not tired yet.

Click to expand...

The argument for riding down the Norwegian coast is that it's much more scenic and interesting to most of us. So any time you save on the straights of Finland or Sweden can then be spend to enjoy the coast a little more thorough.

The argument for riding down the Norwegian coast is that it's much more scenic and interesting to most of us. So any time you save on the straights of Finland or Sweden can then be spend to enjoy the coast a little more thorough.